The Directors recognise the value and importance of high standards of corporate governance and intend, given the Company's size and the constitution of the Board, to comply with the main provisions of the Combined Code. The Company also proposes to follow the recommendations on corporate governance of the Quoted Companies Alliance for companies with shares traded on AIM.
The information disclosed in these investor relations web pages is in accordance with Rule 26 of AIM Rules for Companies and was last updated on 7 February 2019.
Paul has held the role of Chairman since 2014 .He has extensive Non-Executive experience including Chairman of Compass Group and Chime Communications and Non-Executive Director roles of FedEx Corporation and RM2, and previously HSBC.
Prior to this Paul was CEO of Diageo plc for 12 years.
Paul chairs the Nominations Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.
Kyle has held various CEO roles in the Telecommunications industry, most recently CEO of Liquid Telecom South Africa, formerly known as Neotel. Previously Kyle spent 15 years with Vodafone Group plc, holding various CEO, COO and Executive Board Member roles in 4 continents. CEO of Vodafone Qatar 2013-2016, CEO of Vodafone Ghana 2010 – 2013. COO India and Chairman of Vodafone India PTY - 2008 to 2010. Prior to that Kyle spent 7 years in Vodafone UK, most latterly as Enterprise Business Unit Director and Board member.
Alan joined in March 2017. He has extensive Non Executive and Executive Experience Chairman of Azuri Technologies, Chairman and Non-Executive Director at Gigabit Fibre, Lead Non-Executive Director at MTN. Alan co-founded Eaton Towers in 2008 and was CEO until early 2015. Prior to this Alan spent 12 years at Vodafone Group. Alan is a member of the Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee.
John joined the Avanti board in 2019. He leads the Global Account Solutions-EMEA team for AT&T as Region President. He joined AT&T in 1986, serving strategic and executive leadership roles in marketing, asset protection, sales, product and finance in Europe and Latin America. He is an experienced global leader with an extensive background of successfully managing global teams.
Richard joined Avanti in 2016.
His experience spans Telecommunications and Investment Banking.
He was Senior Vice President and Treasurer at Loral Space & Communications Inc., a multi-billion dollar US based satellite telecommunications company, prior to that Richard was a senior banker for JP Morgan Securities.
Michael joined in 2017, also holds non-executive roles Integra Telecom and Core Media.
A Managing Partner at Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC since 2005 and previously held roles including Senior VP Corporate Development at WilTel Communications, President and CEO of GlobeNet Communications, VP of Corporate Development of 360networks, Senior Director of Corporate Development for Microsoft Corporation and Vice President in the M&A group at Merrill Lynch.
Adam is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Great Elm Capital Group, Inc., the Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Great Elm Capital Management, Inc. and the Chief Compliance Officer of Great Elm Capital Corp. Prior to joining Great Elm, Mr. Kleinman was a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at a Boston-based registered investment adviser from 2009 to 2017. From 2004 to 2009, Mr. Kleinman was an Associate in the Banking and Leveraged Finance group at Bingham McCutchen LLP where he represented leading financial institutions, hedge funds and corporate borrowers in a broad range of commercial finance transactions. Mr. Kleinman graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Haverford College in 1997 with a BA in History and received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2004.
Paul joined Avanti in 2013.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Paul spent 38 years with KPMG Europe LLP, for the last 12 years he was Chairman of KPMG's London Region. Paul is the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
He holds various Non-Executive Director roles in Telecommunications including FiberTower, Terrestar, NextWave Wireless Inc, and Panavision and Director of Research for Solus Alternative Asset Management. Prior to this Craig was the Managing Director of Stanfield Capital Partners.
Nigel is a Chartered Accountant and has held various senior roles before joining Avanti in 2007. These include CFO of Climax Group; Group Financial Controller at ARC International; Finance Director of Ruberoid Building Products, and Group Financial Controller of Ruberoid plc.
Kyle Whitehill joined Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) in April 2018 as the Group Chief Executive Officer.
Kyle has extensive experience in the FMCG, mobile, fixed and converged products industries. Prior to joining Avanti, he served as CEO of Liquid Telecom South Africa, where he focused on operational excellence, customer experience and talent investment led to significant company growth during his tenure.
For 16 years Kyle held various senior leadership positions at Vodafone Group, including CEO of Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C. from 2013 to 2016, CEO of Vodafone Ghana from 2010 to 2013, COO of Vodafone India and Chairman of Vodafone India PTY from 2008 to 2010, Enterprise Business Unit Director and board member for Vodafone UK from 2004 to 2008 and Sales Director and Strategic Relationships Director for Vodafone UK between 2001 and 2004.
His early career was spent at fast moving consumer goods companies L'Oreal, Diagio and Guinness before he entered general management within the soft drinks division of PepsiCo.
Libby Barr is the Chief Operating Officer – Customer, at Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) and is a member of the Executive Committee.
Joining Avanti in January 2019, Libby oversees the end-to-end customer relationship encompassing Sales, Wholesale, Product Management, Marketing and Commercial.
Prior to Avanti, Libby was at BT for nine years. As Managing Director of Customer Care she was a key member of the BT Consumer leadership team who grew revenues by more than £1.2bn in five years. Libby was also responsible for the strategic vision, leadership and transformation of a 10,000 strong Customer Care organisation across more than 30 worldwide sites.
Libby began her career at Vodafone. At the company for 22 years she held positions in both the global and UK organisations, leading the Enterprise Sales and Service organisations. In addition, Libby was a Trustee of the Vodafone Foundation.
Nigel Fox is the Chief Financial Officer at Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) and sits on the Executive Committee and Executive Board. At Avanti for 11 years, he oversees all aspects of Finance and Administration for the Group.
During his tenure at Avanti, Nigel has raised and completed the financing of Avanti's satellites HYLAS 1, HYLAS 2 and HYLAS 4. He has also played a significant role the international expansion of the company; establishing operations in Cyprus and the first U.S. hub in Washington D.C..
Nigel is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has held various senior finance roles before joining Avanti, including Chief Finance Officer at Climax Group; Group Financial Controller at ARC International; Finance Director of Ruberoid Building Products, Group Financial Controller of Ruberoid plc and Group Chief Accountant at Logica plc.
Andrew Littlejohns joined Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer - Delivery. His position encompasses Operations, Product Development and Delivery, Procurement and Supply Chain and ICT across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He also sits on Avanti's Executive Committee.
In his role he is responsible for delivering new satellite launches, all ground, network and spacecraft operations, end to end supply chain and information technology.
Prior to joining Avanti, between 2003 and 2009, Andrew held various executive roles at Vodafone, where he was responsible for all UK M&A advisory and execution, in addition to Business Development. Andrew subsequently moved to Acision, as EVP Operations, where he delivered a $150m commercial joint venture with a global MNO across 12 Latin American countries, and a multi-jurisdictional, multiple investor $120m refinancing and restructuring deal. He has subsequently worked for Private Equity investors as a CEO focussing on the transformation of underperforming businesses across a variety of sectors, including technology, security, energy and facilities management.
Debbie Mavis joined Avanti Communication Group plc (Avanti) in July 2018 as Group HR Director and as a member of the Executive Committee. She oversees all aspects of HR, Talent Management, Property, Internal Communications and CSR globally.
Mavis has over 20 years' experience working in telecommunications and banking. Before joining Avanti she held the role of Director of Talent and Resourcing at TSB Bank for six years, where she was instrumental in the divestment of the entity from Lloyds Banking Group, the build of TSB, flotation and the subsequent acquisition by Banco de Sabadell.
At Vodafone for 12 years, Mavis held a number of senior roles, initially in Vodafone UK including Head of Business Partnering, UK Head of Resourcing and Head of Employee Engagement. In 2006, she moved to a European regional role to lead Executive Resourcing, Talent Management across fourteen countries with global accountability for Talent and Resourcing in Group Marketing and Global Technology. She built strong succession capability in all the European Markets and coached and mentored Executives across the Group.
Chris McLaughlin joined Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) in 2017 as Chief of Corporate and External Affairs. In this role he oversees the Government and Regulatory departments, in addition to work across Investor Relations and Corporate Communications.
Chris is tasked with obtaining regulatory permissions for Avanti operations; creating partnerships within the satellite industry; and helping investment community and media understand the Avanti story.
Joining Inmarsat plc in March 2004, prior to the successful 2005 IPO, Chris was a member of the senior executive management team and Chief Marketing Officer until January 2017. He was responsible for all global government, reputational, CSR, marketing, brand and sponsorship activity at the company.
Chris has wide experience in emerging markets and demanding regulatory environments. He has held similar international roles at Philip Morris International, Visa International, ITV, BBC and worked in the Private Equity environment, acquiring and operating cable television groups in Europe.
Natalie Mitchell is General Counsel and Group Company Secretary of Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti). She oversees the Legal department, sits on the Executive Committee and is also Secretary to the Board.
In her role, Natalie is responsible for overseeing all aspects of legal and business affairs, in addition to advising on regulatory matters and legal risk management. She is also responsible for ensuring that Avanti maintains the highest standards of corporate governance.
Natalie joined Avanti in 2010 and became Deputy General Counsel in 2015. During her tenure at Avanti, she has headed up the opening of Avanti's first international office in Cyprus, and helped lead global expansion of the business into Africa and the Middle East. Natalie has extensive corporate finance experience, and worked closely on securing high profile commercial agreements.
Natalie began her career in Film Acquisitions at Sky, before qualifying as a solicitor at leading media and technology specialists, Wiggin LLP. Prior to joining Avanti, she gained several years' experience both in private practice, and in-house at Aardman Animations, BPI and ITV plc.
Toby Robinson is the Chief of Strategy and Business Development at Avanti Communications Group plc (Avanti) and a member of the Executive Committee. He joined the company in October 2017 with thirty years' experience in international Telecoms Media and Technology.
At Avanti, Toby is responsible for the development of the company strategy and driving large wholesale bandwidth deals with other major players in the satellite industry. He led the business development process resulting in the signing of Avanti's largest commercial contract to date.
Prior to joining Avanti, Toby was group Chief Commercial Officer at Eaton Towers from 2008 to 2017. As a member of the start-up management team, who grew the business to 5,000 towers across Africa, he was responsible for the acquisition of all the towers in the network. He oversaw all negotiations with Bharti Airtel and Orange in the acquisitions programme and dealt with key customers in the region, including Vodafone, MTN, Etisalat, Google and Africell.
Toby began his career as a strategy consultant working at Bain & Co, before moving on to Arthur Andersen as a Partner. In 2003, he took the role of Managing Director Europe at Mercator Partners and in 2004 joined OC&C Strategy Consultants as a Partner in their Telecoms, Media & Technology practice.
The Board has established an audit committee and a remuneration committee with formally delegated responsibilities.
The remuneration committee is chaired by Andy Green. Its other members are Paul Walsh, Peter Reed and Michael Leitner. The remuneration committee reviews the performance of the Executive Directors and makes recommendations to the Board on matters relating to their remuneration and terms of employment. The remuneration committee also makes recommendations to the Board on proposals for the granting of share options and other equity incentive scheme in operation from time to time. The remuneration and terms and conditions of appointment of the non-executive directors of the Company are set by the Board.
The audit committee is chaired by Paul Johnson. Its other members are Richard Mastoloni, Andy Green and Craig Chobor. The audit committee has primary responsibility for monitoring the quality of internal controls and ensuring that the financial performance of the Company is properly measured and reported on. It receives and reviews reports from the Company's management and auditors relating to the interim and annual accounts and the accounting and internal control systems in use throughout the Avanti Communications Group. The audit committee meets at least twice a year and has unrestricted access to the Company's auditors.
The Nomination Committee is comprised of Paul Walsh and Andy Green. The Nomination Committee meets as and when necessary and has responsibility for nominating to the Board candidates for appointment as Directors, bearing in mind the need for diversity and a broad representation of skills across the Board.
The Board intends to comply, and procure compliance with, Rule 21 of the AIM Rules relating to dealings by directors and other applicable employees in the Company's securities and, to this end, the Company has adopted an appropriate share dealing code.
The Board of Avanti (the "Board") has always recognised that it is accountable to shareholders for the Company's activities and that it is responsible for the effectiveness of corporate governance practices. It has remained committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and, whilst the Company is AIM listed and therefore not required to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code (the "Code"), the Board sought to comply with the Code in all material respects wherever it was practical to do so having regard to the size of the Company and the resources available to it.
The Board has a collective duty to promote the long term success of the Company for its shareholders. The Board sets the Company's strategy and ensures that the necessary resources are in place to achieve the strategic priorities. In determining the long term strategy and objectives of the Company, the Board takes into account its duties and responsibilities not just to its shareholders but also to customers, employees and other stakeholders and makes its decisions objectively. It reviews management and financial performance, monitors the delivery of strategy and achievement of objectives and works within a rigorous framework of internal controls and risk management. The Board develops and promotes the collective vision of the Company's purpose, objectives, values and key behaviours.
The Group's Business Model and Strategy, together with the key challenges faced by the Group in their execution, are described in the latest Annual and Half-Yearly Reports.
The Company remains committed to listening and communicating openly with its shareholders to ensure that its strategy, business model and performance are clearly understood. Understanding what analysts and investors think about us is a key part of driving our business forward and we actively seek dialogue with the market. We do so inter alia via investor roadshows and our regular reporting.
At the half year and the year end, all operating Group companies are required to produce Financial Statements to comply with local accounting regulations and to produce sufficient information to enable the central finance team to produce IFRS-compliant Consolidated Financial Statements. The Board presents a balanced and understandable assessment of the Group's position and prospects in all interim and price sensitive public reports whilst also reporting to regulators all information required to be presented by statutory requirements.
The Interim Report and the Annual Report and Accounts are the primary means used by the Board for communication during the year with all of the Company's shareholders. The Board also recognises the importance of the internet as a means of communicating widely, immediately and cost effectively and a Company website (www.avantiplc.com) is maintained to facilitate communications with shareholders. The AGM is the main forum for dialogue with shareholders and the Board and notices of meetings are sent to shareholders at least twenty one days in advance. The chairs of the Board, the Company Secretary and all committees, together with other Directors, routinely attend the AGM and are available to answer questions raised by shareholders. For each vote, the number of proxy votes received for, against and withheld is announced at the meeting. The results of the AGM are subsequently published on the Company's corporate website. The meetings are well attended and all shareholders are given the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues; this can be done formally during the meeting or informally with the Directors before and after it.
Copies of our annual report (which includes the notice of AGM) and the interim report can be downloaded from our website. Alternatively, they are available on request by writing to the company secretary at Cobham House, 20 Black Friars Lane, London EC4A 6EB.
At the AGM, separate resolutions are proposed on each substantially separate issue. For each resolution, proxy appointment forms are issued which provide voting shareholders with the option to vote in advance of the AGM if they are unable to attend in person. All valid proxy votes received for the AGM are properly recorded and counted by Neville Registrars, our registrars. Voting at the AGM is by a show of hands unless a poll is called for. As soon as practicable after the AGM has finished, the results of the meeting are posted on our website. At last year's AGM, all resolutions were duly passed with overwhelming levels of support.
Kyle Whitehill, Chief Executive, is primarily responsible for shareholder liaison, and can be contacted on +44 20 7749 1600.
The group's stakeholders include shareholders, members of staff, customers, suppliers, regulators, industry bodies and creditors. Engaging with our stakeholders strengthens our relationships and helps us make better business decisions to deliver on our commitments. The Board is regularly updated on wider stakeholder engagement feedback to stay apprised of stakeholder insights into the issues that matter most to them and our business, and to enable the Board to understand and consider these issues in decision-making. Aside from our shareholders, suppliers and customers, our employees are one of our most important stakeholder groups and the Board therefore closely monitors and reviews the results of engagement surveys as well as a number of any other feedback it receives to ensure alignment of interests.
Employees Under the guidance of the Group's Head of HR, employee feedback processes are constantly under review to ensure all businesses that join the Group provide suitable feedback channels to their employees. The Board acknowledges the importance of two-way communication to ensure each employee maximises their potential at Avanti and staff are encouraged to hold regular meetings with their reporting manager to ensure their performance is discussed and evaluated.
Suppliers: Suppliers are contracted with on purely commercial terms but recognising that their margins must allow for them to sustain their businesses if the Group is to continue to benefit from their services. The Group considers itself to be a 'prompt payer'.
Customers: As a service business, customer relations are critical to success. The Group's commitment to providing feedback to customers is a duty it takes seriously. All key relationships with customers are designated an account manager to ensure relationships are maintained and any queries or concerns are addressed in a timely fashion.
The Board has overall responsibility for the Company's system of internal control to safeguard Company assets and shareholders' investments. The risk management process and systems of internal control are designed to manage, rather than completely eliminate, the risk of failure in order to achieve the Company's objectives.
The Company has an established framework of internal financial controls, the effectiveness of which is regularly reviewed by the Executive Management, the Audit Committee and the Board in light of an ongoing assessment of significant risks facing the Company. The Company does not have an internal audit function due to the small size of the Company's administrative function and the high level of Director review and authorisation of transactions. The Audit Committee believes that these internal controls are adequate for the Group's current size and does not feel that a separate internal audit function is currently warranted. This situation is kept under regular review.
Management responsibility and accountability: There are clearly defined management responsibilities, reporting lines and limits of authority. The Chief Executive and the Finance Director meet regularly with the Executive Directors and other members of senior management to review progress on financial, commercial, operational, supply chain, HR, health, safety and environmental issues as well as regulatory and legal compliance matters.
Strategy and planning: The Company updates its strategic plan each year and this is approved by the Board.
Budgeting and reporting: Detailed management accounts are prepared each month, consolidated and reviewed in detail with senior management.
Expenditure approval: Authorisation and control procedures are in place for capital expenditure and other major projects. There is also a process to review capital expenditure projects post completion to highlight any issues and improve future projects. Authorisation procedures for operating costs and contractual commitments are reviewed regularly.
Independence of the finance function: The finance function is encouraged to act independently of general management in the course of its preparation of monthly accounts and exercising of control procedures.
Insurance and risk management policies: This includes a formal annual risk review report to the Board. Regular meetings are held with insurance and risk advisors to assess the risks throughout the Group.
Documented policies: There are documented policies for a range of areas including HR matters, expenditure, treasury and financial reporting.
Cash: The cash and debt position at Group and operational level is monitored daily and any variances from forecast levels are investigated thoroughly. Working capital balances are reviewed on a monthly basis at Group level, and any significant variances are analysed and investigated.
Effectiveness: The Board continually reviews the effectiveness of the systems of internal control and risk management procedures throughout the year.
There are comprehensive procedures for budgeting and planning, for monitoring and reporting to the Board business performance against those budgets and plans, and for forecasting expected performance over the remainder of the financial period. These cover profits, cash flows, capital expenditure and balance sheets. Monthly results are reported against budget and forecasts for the current financial year are regularly revised in light of actual performance.
The Board monitors closely developments in legislation, regulation and industry guidelines to ensure that our corporate governance policies are kept up to date and that the Board committees take into account all of the latest guidance in their areas of activity.
Committee meetings are held independently of Board meetings and invitations to attend are extended by the committee Chairman to other Directors, the Company's advisors and management as appropriate.
The Audit Committee assists the Board in discharging its duties regarding the financial statements, accounting policies and the maintenance of proper internal business, and operational and financial controls, including the review of results of work performed by the Group controls function. The Audit Committee is comprised of four Non-Executive Directors: Paul Johnson, Andrew Green, Craig Chobor and Richard Mastoloni. The Committee is chaired by Paul Johnson. Through their other business activities, each member of the Committee has significant experience in financial matters.
The Nominations Committee is comprised of two Non-Executive Directors: Paul Walsh and Andrew Green. It is chaired by Paul Walsh. The Committee has responsibility for nominating to the Board candidates for appointment as Directors, bearing in mind the need for diversity and a broad representation of skills across the Board, and its principal responsibility is to ensure that the Board comprises individuals with the most appropriate balance of experience, skills and knowledge to help and support the Company strategy.
The Remuneration Committee is comprised of four Non-Executive Directors: Paul Walsh, Andrew Green, Peter Reed and Michael Leitner. It is chaired by Andrew Green. Executive Directors and senior management attend Remuneration Committee meetings at the invitation of the Committee Chairman only. The Remuneration Committee meets according to the Company's requirements at least twice a year and determines, within agreed Terms of Reference, specific remuneration packages for the Chairman, the Executive Directors and the officers of the Company. This includes implementation of Company share incentive plans. In accordance with the Committee's Terms of Reference, no Director may participate in discussions relating to his or her own terms and conditions of service or remuneration.
The Committee considers: the pay scales applied to each Director's package; the proportion of the different types of reward within each package; the period within which performance related elements become payable; what proportion of rewards should be related to measurable performance or enhanced shareholder value, and the balance between short and long-term performance elements; and the transparency of Directors' remuneration in the annual Financial Statements.
The Board recognises that maintaining sound controls and discipline is critical to managing the business. The Board has ultimate responsibility for the Group's system of internal control and for reviewing its effectiveness. The Directors consider that the internal controls in place are appropriate for the size, complexity and risk profile of the Group. The General Counsel ensures that legal risk is properly managed and legal rigour is enforced in all our business negotiations.
The Board is committed to maintaining appropriate standards for all the Company's business activities and ensuring that these standards are set out in written policies. Key examples of such standards and policies include an anti-bribery policy, a financial crime policy, a whistleblowing policy, a gifts and entertainment policy and a conflicts of interest policy. Operating procedures for control of satellite operations are clearly documented and set out in operation manuals. Senior managers are responsible for the implementation of these procedures and compliance is monitored.
All material contracts are required to be reviewed and signed by an executive Director of the Company and reviewed by our General Counsel.
The Board comprises the Non-Executive Chairman, two Executive Directors and seven Non-Executive Directors, one of whom also acts as Senior Independent Director. In April 2018 a new Chief Executive, Kyle Whitehill, was appointed. The Board considers that Andrew Green, Paul Johnson and Richard Mastoloni are "independent" and that, after careful review, that overall the Non-Executive Directors bring an independent judgement to bear and is satisfied that it has a suitable balance between independence on the one hand, and knowledge of the Company on the other, to enable it to discharge its duties and responsibilities effectively.
Environmental, health and safety and sustainability policies.
The Company has effective procedures in place to monitor and deal with conflicts of interest. The Board is aware of the other commitments and interests of its Directors, and changes to these commitments and interests are reported to and, where appropriate, agreed with the other Directors. The Board also takes all appropriate measures to ensure that no conflict of interest can exist between members of the Board and other stakeholders in the Company. All Directors are encouraged to use their independent judgement and to challenge all matters, whether strategic or operational.
The number of meetings of the Board (and any committees) during the year, together with the attendance record of each director are set out in the Company's Annual Report.
The Board is satisfied that, amongst the Directors, it has an effective and appropriate balance of skills and experience. The Company benefits from the extensive experience of the Non-Executive Directors in areas critical to the long term future success of the Company, encompassing a deep understanding of the industry, technology, corporate strategy, finance and investment. The Non-Executive Directors help the Executive Directors by contributing independent challenge and rigour to the Board's deliberations and assisting in the development of the Company's strategy. In addition, they are responsible for monitoring the performance of the Executive Directors against agreed goals and objectives. Their views are essential in overseeing the performance of the Company.
The Board makes decisions regarding the appointment and removal of Directors, and there is a formal, rigorous and transparent procedure for appointments. The Company's Articles of Association require that all Directors must stand for re-election at least once every three years and that any new Director appointed during the year must stand for election at the AGM immediately following his/her appointment. As a Company with a long-term growth strategy, it is appropriate for Directors to serve on the Board for more than a single term, subject to continuing satisfactory performance.
All Directors have access to advice from the Company Secretary and independent professionals at the Company's expense. Training is available for Directors as necessary. New Directors receive an induction programme and all the Directors are encouraged to continue professional education programmes.
Biographies for each of the directors, including details of their experience and skills, are available on the Company's website. The Board believes that it encompasses the requisite range of skills and capabilities to create value for shareholders in the long term.
The Chairman regularly assesses on an informal basis the individual contributions of each of the members of the team to ensure that their contribution is relevant and effective, they are committed and, where relevant, they have maintained their independence.
Details of the Company's Nomination Committee are set out above in relation to principle 4.
Given its size, the Company does not have formal succession planning processes in place, but the development of its employees is kept under continual consideration by the Company's senior management. The Board is comfortable that, were an Executive Director to leave the Company, the Company's senior management would be able to support the running of the business on an interim basis, in advance of a permanent replacement being found.
The Company prides itself on carrying out its business in a fair, honest and open manner, ensuring that it complies with all relevant laws and regulations.
Under the Companies Act 2006, a Director of a company must avoid a situation in which he or she has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts or may possibly conflict with the interests of the company. The Company has a formal procedure in place to manage the disclosure consideration and, if appropriate, the authorisation of any such possible conflict. Directors are aware of the requirement to notify the Board as soon as they become aware of any possible future conflict or a material change to an existing authorisation. Only Directors who have no interest in the matter being considered are able to take the relevant decision.
The Company's commitment to conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner is reflected in several of its policies, including its Anti-bribery Policy, Code of Conduct, New Supplier Selection Policy and Supplier Policy. These policies not only set the values expected of the Company's own staff but also the behaviours and values required in the Company's supply chain.
Bribery Act 2010: The Board performs an ongoing assessment of the risk environment and has implemented a framework to ensure that the Company trades in compliance with the UK Bribery Act 2010 and all other relevant anti-bribery and corruption legislation.
Modern Slavery Act 2015: The Company has taken, and is continuing to take, steps to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place within its business or supply chain. A zero tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery has been implemented and the Company is fully committed to acting ethically, transparently and with integrity in all business dealings.
The Group has also put a whistleblowing policy in place. This allows staff to raise any concerns in confidence directly with the CFO or the Company Secretary or the chair of the Audit Committee.
The Chairman and the Board have confidence that the way in which the Board meetings are conducted ensures that they cover all the matters required to be discussed and that sufficient time is allowed for discussion of each matter at the most appropriate meeting in the year, enabling the members of the Board to discharge their duties as Directors effectively. The Company Secretary attends all Board meetings and is available to advise on any corporate governance issues that may arise.
During the year to 30 June 2017, the Board met seven times. During the Strategic Review between July and December 2017, the Board also convened weekly telephonic meetings to discuss M&A, restructuring and other related matters.
The Board and its Committees receive appropriate and timely information prior to each meeting; a formal agenda is produced for each meeting, and Board and Committee papers are distributed several days before meetings take place. Any Director may challenge Company proposals and decisions are taken democratically after discussion. Any Director who feels that any concern remains unresolved after discussion may ask for that concern to be noted in the minutes of the meeting, which are then circulated to all Directors. Any specific actions arising from such meetings are agreed by the Board or relevant Committee and then followed up by the Company's management.
The Board is responsible for the long-term success of the Company. There is a formal schedule of matters reserved to the Board. It is responsible for overall Group strategy; approval of major investments; approval of the annual and interim results; annual budgets; and Board structure. The Chairman is responsible for running the business of the Board and for ensuring appropriate strategic focus and direction. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for proposing the strategic focus to the Board, implementing it once it has been approved and overseeing the management of the Company through the Executive Team. All Directors receive regular and timely information on the Group's operational and financial performance.
The Executive Team consists of senior management and is responsible for the daily running of the group and the execution of approved policies and the business plan. It also manages and oversees key risks, management development and corporate responsibility programmes. The Chief Executive Officer reports to the Board on issues, progress and recommendations for change.
Details of the board committees are set out above in relation to principle 4, and committee terms of reference are available in the Company's Annual Report. Matters reserved for the board are set out in relation to principle 5.
The Company communicates with shareholders through the Annual Report and Accounts, full-year and half-year announcements, the AGM and one-to-one meetings with key shareholders. All historical annual reports (including the Audit and Remuneration Committee Reports) and notices of meeting are available on the Company website.
The Board receives regular updates on the views of shareholders through briefings and reports from the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the Company's brokers.
As soon as practicable after any general meeting has concluded, the results of the meeting are released through a regulatory news service and a copy of the announcement is posted on the Company's website.


KTM is all set to take 2017 by storm. The manufacturer is making sure it has a slew of launches in the country to make sure affordable performance motorcycling in the country continues. The plans are big as after this we will see the Duke and finally the adventure motorcycles coming to India. However, their most popular model in the lineup just got a change for the year 2017 in every way. Let's have a look at what the KTM RC 200 brings to the table for year 2017.
Everything remains the same when it comes to features and panels as they have been unchanged. Dual projectors and LED at the front, orange scheme for wheels and chassis continue to be offered. However, the changes are made to the side panel which are now offered in white and orange scheme. The motorcycle does look good. The mirrors are now wider than before, a complain rectified.
Chassis setup includes the same things as before. The race bred trellis frame, upside down forks and the larger front 320mm disc brakes has been seen on the motorcycle. ABS still does not make it to the motorcycle. There are adjustable levers on offer this time around.
Read this too: KTM RC 390 2017 MODEL LAUNCHED!
The engine continues to be the same and doesn't get the side exhaust either like the 390. The engine is just BSIV for now and offers the same 25 PS of power and 19 Nm of torque. The engine is the same 4-valve DOHC, liquid cooled unit which has a 6-speed gearbox mated to it. There is no slipper clutch offered here.
ABS is not offered on the RC 200.


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The University of Vermont Health Network > Coronavirus > Staying Healthy > Mask Myths
Learn how to stay healthy and cope with COVID-19.
UVMHN Updates
Mask Myths: Does a Mask Limit My Oxygen Intake?
Gill Allen, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center and professor at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, dispels some myths and answers popular questions about the efficacy of face masks.
How does someone's age, weight, fitness or underlying health condition affect their ability to wear a mask?
A: Everyone can wear a mask safely, and while it's not always comfortable, it is important to do so to protect others from the spread of COVID-19. People with underlying respiratory conditions, like severe asthma or COPD, might find it harder to breathe because of the added resistance to flow.
Additionally, people of advanced age or weight do lose lung function and may find it more difficult to breathe with a mask on, but for most, it will not impair oxygenation (oxygen getting into the blood) or ventilation (blowing of carbon dioxide). Health care professionals have worn masks for decades, often uninterrupted for hours, in operating rooms without adverse effects. If you are unsure about your oxygen capacity speak to your health care provider.
Should I wear a mask while exercising indoors/outdoors?
A: If you are exercising outdoors, like biking or running, and not within 6 feet of others, it's okay to not wear a mask – keep one with you in case you come into close contact with others, though. There are some studies from Europe showing that the vapor trail of a runner extends well beyond 6 feet behind them, and it is probably better to distance much farther from another runner or walker.
The data is less clear about group sports however. It's likely that outdoor group sports are safer than indoor group sports, due to wind and superior ventilation/air exchange, but I personally feel that the risk of human-to-human spread in outdoor sports is currently unacceptably high, and would recommend against them. People are hyperventilating and running in and out of one another's vapor trails in soccer and basketball, perhaps less in baseball. The CDC currently recommends against group sports. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports.html
The COVID-19 virus is 0.125 microns and N95 masks only filter down to 0.3 microns so how can N95, surgical or cloth masks be effective?
A: While the size of the virus itself is very small, the virus particles do not travel through the air alone. The virus needs to hitch a ride on the tiny droplets of saliva and water that are exhaled when someone coughs or sneezes, or even on dust particles. Shouting or singing can also disperse these droplets widely. If you are infected with COVID-19, you likely contracted the virus from inhaling viral-infected particles. It is also not true that N95 masks do not filter particles smaller than 0.3 microns, they can and do. There are multiple layers of fibers that carry an electrostatic charge that helps entrap these smaller particles.
While there have not been large-scale controlled trials, recent research shared in the Journal of Aerosol Science shows that masks protect people surrounding the mask-wearer. This research indicates that masks are effective at trapping exhaled air and respiratory droplets in the mask and successfully limit the number and movement of viral particles on droplets in the air. We can also draw some conclusions by inference from data demonstrating decreases in viral transmission within States where universal masking has been mandated.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Bootstrap Icons not displayed in Gulp 4 I'm trying to use the new bootstrap icons npm package with gulp 4 the latest version in my project everything is installed well and worked well.
the issue that I got is when I declare the icon in my index.html file like this :
<i class="bi bi-alarm"></i>

the icon does not show up I think the problem is coming from the web fonts.
I'm new with gulp if anyone can help, please!
here is my gulpfile.js file:
"use strict";

const { src, dest, watch, series, parallel } = require("gulp");
const sass = require("gulp-sass");
const postcss = require("gulp-postcss");
const autoprefixer = require("autoprefixer");
const cssnano = require("cssnano");
const terser = require("gulp-terser");
const browsersync = require("browser-sync").create();

// FILE PATHS
const files = {
    scssPath: "src/assets/scss/app.scss",
    jsPath: "src/assets/js/app.js",
};

// COMPILE SCSS INTO CSS
function compileSCSS() {
    return src(files.scssPath, { sourcemaps: true })
        .pipe(sass().on("error", sass.logError))
        .pipe(postcss([autoprefixer(), cssnano()]))
        .pipe(dest("public/assets/css", { sourcemaps: "." }));
}

// COPY CUSTOM JS
function compileJS() {
    return src(files.jsPath, { sourcemaps: true })
        .pipe(terser())
        .pipe(dest("public/assets/js", { sourcemaps: "." }));
}

// BROWSER SYNC
function browserSyncInit(cb) {
    browsersync.init({
        server: {
            baseDir: ".",
        },
    });
    cb();
}

function browsersyncReload(cb) {
    browsersync.reload();
    cb();
}

// WATCH FILES
function watchFiles() {
    watch("*.html", browsersyncReload);
    watch([files.scssPath, files.jsPath], series(compileSCSS, compileJS, browsersyncReload));
}

exports.default = series(parallel(compileSCSS, compileJS), browserSyncInit, watchFiles);

here is my src/assets/scss/app.scss file:
@import "../../../node_modules/bootstrap-icons/font/bootstrap-icons";

here is my file structure:
my-project/
├── src/assets/scss
│   └── app.scss
├── src/assets/js
│   └── app.js
├── public/assets
│   └── css/
│   └── js/
└── node_modules/
└── index.html
└── gulpfile.js

A: Bootstrap Icons use Webfont, but you just imported SCSS only, so it is not working correctly. Let create a Gulp task to copy fonts to your dest too.
Gulp task suggestion:
function copyBootstrapFonts() {
  return gulp.src('path-to-bootstrap-icons/fonts')
    .pipe(gulp.dest('path-to-your-dest/fonts'));
}

Or you can use CDN as an easy way.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


B.C.'s economy may be booming now, but Premier Gordon Campbell is warning the business community not to be complacent.
In a year-in-review style speech to the Coalition of B.C. Businesses, the Premier says, while 2005 has been a great one for the province, challenges lie ahead.
The Premier also had a warning about the NDP opposition who he says are out in communities every day working hard against the interests of the business community.


An infection with the dangerous CRAB Scarab virus leads to serious security issues. Victims can restore and protect their computers by following our complete removal guide.
CRAB Scarab virus is a new data locker ransomware that has been released in attack campaigns against computer users worldwide. The threat could be utilizing widely used tactics of distribution to infect computer systems.
One of the easiest ways for the criminals to spread the payload of CRAB Scarab ransomware is by attaching it to email messages that are later released in active attack campaigns. The method allows hackers to send the virus to large lists of potential victims. The attachments to malicious email spam messages usually have Word documents or other types of files which users open without hesitation. Once opened on a target host these compromised files trigger the ransomware payload and infect the device with CRAB Scarab crypto virus. Other infection tactic related to emails is hyperlink inserted in the content of the messages. The links are usually labeled as leading to a familiar website or a file of user interest.
Computer criminals behind this new ransomware can be using malicious sites or download portals to distribute malware of different kinds, including CRAB Scarab virus. A popular option is the use of infected documents which may be of different types ‒ spreadsheets, rich text documents, presentations and databases. They are modified to initiate the virus once the built-in scripts are run. Usually when the files are opened a notification will ask the users to run the macros (scripts). If this is done the infection follows.
The hacker-controlled sites are specialist portals that have been created either manually or automatically by the criminals behind CRAB Scarab virus. They can either directly distribute the threat by initiating various scripts or automated operations or link to such instances. Redirects are usually caused by email interaction, ad networks or other browsing activity. However one of the main sources is the availability of browser hijackers. They are malicious add-ons made for the most popular web browsers ‒ Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Once installed they not only infect the users with the malware, but also redirect the victims to a hacker-controlled site. Depending on the configuration the browser hijackers can also steal sensitive information such as any stored passwords, account credentials, history, bookmarks, form data and settings.
The Crab Scarab strain is the latest release of the Scarab ransomware family which was recently announced in an ongoing attack. According to the available reports this is an updated version of the Scarab-Bin variant which hit computer targets back in July 2018.
The CRAB Scarab ransomware may follow the same behavior patterns as the previous releases. This means that it is likely that the infiltrations will begin by launching the data collection module. It will scan the local system for strings that are used to construct the unique victim ID — a report on the installed hardware components, operating system characteristics and user settings. In addition this component can also expose the identity of the victims by searching for strings that can expose them. Example ones are their name, address, phone number, interests, location and any stored accounts. One of the dangers of this type of information collection is the fact that the CRAB Scarab engine may access both the operating system and the installed user applications, including web browsers.
When this step is complete the ransomware will continue by initiating a stealth protection module. This is one of the most important steps as it will protect the virus instance from discovery and security software that can interfere with its correct execution. The typical detection is done by applying signature scans looking out for applications such as anti-virus programs, debug environments and virtual machine hosts. Their real-time engines can be bypassed or altogether removed. When this is done the CRAB Scarab virus will have total control of the system.
Whenever this step is achieved the Windows Registry will be modified. The virus engine will change values belonging both to the operating system and the user-installed applications. When the Windows strings are affected important services will be disabled and the users may experience serious performance issues. Modified values belonging to the installed applications will result in the inability to launch certain functions. A related mechanism that is triggered is the stealth protection module which will launch the virus module every time the computer is powered on. It may also block the ability to enter into the recovery boot menu and block other apps from launching it.
To cause further damage to the infected hosts it can be programmed to sensitive user data such as the System Restore Points, Backups and Shadow Volume Copies. This can make it more difficult to restore the compromised systems. In addition infections with viruses like the CRAB Scarab ransomware can lead to the installation of other threats. In the case of Trojans this can enable the malicious operators to take over control of the systems by setting up a secure and persistent connection to a hacker-controlled server. It will allow the hackers to spy on the users at any given time, take over their computers and hijack all stored information both before and after the ransomware engine is called .
As a result all victim files will be renamed with the .crab extension. According to the collected samples before the .crab extension is applied the hacker's email address will be applied.
Please note that paying the requested ransom fee to cyber criminals does not really solve your problem with CRAB Scarab crypto virus. In fact, you only encourage hackers to continue spreading ransomware of this kind. Instead, you must remove the threat immediately, and only then look for optional ways to recover your data.
WARNING! Manual removal of CRAB Scarab ransomware virus requires being familiar with system files and registries. Removing important data accidentally can lead to permanent system damage. If you don't feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a powerful anti-malware tool that will scan your system for malware and clean it safely for you.
WARNING! All files and objects associated with CRAB Scarab ransomware virus should be removed from the infected PC before any data recovery attempts. Otherwise the virus may encrypt restored files. Furthermore, a backup of all encrypted files stored on external media is highly recommendable.


text:
date: 2016-09-13T09:00:00+00:00
title: Deployment scales
menu:
  main:
    parent: "API"
    identifier: "api-reference-deployment-scales-094"
    weight: 100
---
Deployment scales are singular resources: you only have one scale per service. Deleting a scale is not a meaningful action. Read about [using deployments](/documentation/using-vamp/deployments/) and [using scales](/documentation/using-vamp/blueprints/#scale).

## Actions

 * [Get](/documentation/api/v0.9.4/api-deployment-scales/#get-single-deployment-scale) - return details of a specific deployment scale
 * [Update](/documentation/api/v0.9.4/api-deployment-scales/#update-deployment-scale) - update a deployment scale

--------------

## Get single deployment scale

Return details of a specific deployment scale that's part of a service inside a cluster.

### Request
* `GET`
* `/api/v1/deployments/{deployment_name}/clusters/{cluster_name}/services/{service_name}/scale`
* The request body should be empty.

### Response
If successful, will return the specified [scale resource](/documentation/api/v0.9.4/api-scales/#scale-resource) in the specified `accept` format (default JSON).

### Errors
* The requested resource could not be found.

--------------

## Update deployment scale

Update the scale of a running deployment.

### Request
* `PUT`
* `/api/v1/deployments/{deployment_name}/clusters/{cluster_name}/services/{service_name}/scale`
* The request body should include at least the [minimum scale resource](/documentation/api/v0.9.4/api-scales/#scale-resource) in the specified `content-type` format (default JSON).

### Response
If successful, will return an empty response.

--------------

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Welcome back to another Kickstarter Conversation! I'm pleased to welcome Rob Duenas to talk about his latest Kickstarter Game Cave Vol 01: Fighting Junkies. Thank you for joining us today Rob!
Thanks James, glad to be here, Game Cave has been a three year journey and it feels awesome to talk about it.
Game Cave sounds like such a great project for those of us who had video game magazine subscriptions from the 90's. (Mine was PC Gamer) Can you tell us about your project?
Game Cave is cross between old school gaming mags like Game Fan, Nintendo Power, and PSM with their colorful, multi screen, themed layouts, and a comic book. It features original characters talking about games from NES to IOS, lots of artwork, and is designed to bring back a sense of enthusiasm to gaming publications. No scores, no "buy this game now" mentality, just honest opinions, crispy screens, and rad art. It's designed, drawn, and co written by myself. I have three freelance writers, Wesley Rusher, James Bacon, and Trey Mack, who turn in typical game coverage, which I then collaborate and re-write into a comic style format for our fictional editors. Josh handles customer service and fulfillment.
With the gaming magazines a seemingly dying breed with everyone going online, what made you decide to create this project now?
Well first off it's available primarily in digital format, Kickstarter gives me a way to market that as well as physical goods like 11x17 prints, real artwork, as well as physical copies. Moving forward I would love to add hardcover additions and pull out posters for those things. But they (physical copies) will be limited and cost more than digital, it's quality over quantity. Theres a fanbase for that sort of thing, I get emails and talk to fans at conventions all the time. Current publications are dying due to non existent ad revenue, the delay in up to the minute news and reviews, and their generic mass market formats. Even the best of them like Retro Gamer, struggle each month, it costs a lot to employ dozens of people and ship monthly worldwide. I'm not getting back into that game, I've already experienced it first hand at Play and GameFan and over time it's crumbled in on itself. The chance here is to create something new and yet harkens back to gaming publications past. Covering myself, Josh, and a few freelancers is doable on that budget.
How do you see collectability differentiating Game Cave from online video game sources like Polygon and Giantbomb?
It's like comparing CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC with the Daily Show or Howard Stern. We'll have lots of great info wrapped up in an entertainment format. What I do in terms of design and artwork takes far too long to ever compete with those sources and btw I read them all, so I wouldn't dare try to. I love Screwattack, Giantbomb, Destructoid, Polygon, all the big hitters, if you read or watch those sites then you're fully prepared to get all the inside jokes and commentary buried in each issue. The trick on my part is to be entertaining, not annoying or schticky. I think the Stern Show, if you're aware of the family dynamic among the cast and crew gets that perfectly, and it's authentic as well as entertaining. I'm not gonna complain about Mortal Kombats controls as Rad Masters just to be controversial, it's how I personally feel, however in that same article, Chili can defend it in a real and authentic way. If that makes any sense lol In terms of collectability, you can physically own the books, the posters, and artwork. I'm planing on three to four issues a year, it's niche, but we're dedicated. Adding that tangibility to Game Cave is essential to the experience.
Since reviews aren't what Game Cave is about, what can I expect to read along with all the great art to admire?
For the first issue its historical coverage, hence Fighting Games, which I chose as an entry point into getting things down on paper. Working out the format if you will. Plus theres a few modern fighters out there, like Street Fighter 4, Guilty Gear, or Skull Girls. With future issues having one or two big features that I can break into a comic book, game magazine, light novel hybrid in terms of presentation is top of the list. I'm all down for interviews with indie devs and such while, trying to balance factual game coverage with satire. But scores, hundreds of generic previews, and generic mandatory AAA coverage is out the door. If its in our issue, its cause we love it or really, really hate it. Without the need for ad revenue and with drawn characters/editors you can be more bold in your copy.
I understand you're approaching this more as an art book instead of like a magazine, how does this paradigm shift change your approach both in design and sales?
In design, right now I'm starting with what I know, the game review and sketchbook format. Only this time it'll be "reviewed" (I used that word for lack of better vernacular) with the characters. I'll be adding a few comic panels into those to show actions or portraits. Second, some of the pages will have a "sketchbook" like format with big character art pieces, or background arts, comic book type letter boxes and word balloons, plus the usual screens. In terms of sales I plan on them being evergreen, it would back a great coffee table product or poster on your wall and I'll be hitting conventions with them. The hardest part is breaking out of the stigma publications have gotten themselves into and thats just time and pressure on my part.
I love the idea that all of the "writers" are actually characters with their own specialties and personalities. I especially like that you have Chili Pop be the PC Gamer goddess. Mainly because growing up a PC Gamer I always felt sidelined by magazines such as these. How important was it to you to cover all the bases as it were with your "crew?"
As with any first issue it's been an evolving nature, the individual characters were developed after the first issue topic, so moving forward I'm definitely gonna place each character in their own "zone" so to say lol. I really wanted characters for a few reasons. One, I don't intend to build a buyers guide. Showing real people reviewing real products is necessary in terms of credibility. However going towards satire, I think of Game Cave more like the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and the Muppet Show lol. Second, I'd like to add more comic book type panels, or light novel hybrid formats. The book exists in a fictional world I've already developed, Valence, in a town called Wellspring, Game Cave is a fanzine and used game store where Bombkatt, Chili, Bacon and Rad work, while the other editors freelance out their own regions. Mochi lives in Netherville, its a demon realm on earth where people go the first time they perish, so everyone parties down there, it's like Disneyland, Las Vegas, and Disgaea combined. I'd love to have games covered by different creatures from this realm, not unlike how crazy muppets would arrive on the Muppet Show.Truffles is from Catalonia, a cross between Costa Del Sol from Final Fantasy 7 and American Graffiti. A mix of caribbean and 50's rockabilly culture wrapped up in a jrpg. The effort moving forward is to get that into each issue, it's a continual discovery and I look forward to seeing it unfold.
You've completely obliterated your original goal of $500, are you surprised by the response to your project? Will your future editions have a higher goal or are you going to keep the goals low and just print what is ordered?
I've been quite happy with the response so far, the funding goal was designed to cover Kickstarter fees and pay my freelance writers. Attaching original art to the tiers is how I pay myself really, if we do well I get paid more, if not, I take on personal commissions while I finish the issue. Some folks have mentioned to me with the funding already so much higher than originally planned it looks like we're done and good to go, still I'd love to have between 300-500 backers, thats the typical short run printing I'm used to in indie comics and would keep us nice and comfy moving forward. As an artist you definitely want to feel like you are creating for an audience, whether a higher funding goal would help with that or not is something I'll look into moving forward. With the printed issues, right now I can't see a way to print hundreds of copies to have lying around, hence the print to order. I am working on getting extras packed in, theres always a wish list of goodies you'd like to add to each issue. My goal is to make physical copies collectable, 200-500 copies each, not disposable and with each issue I'll be moving towards that as much as possible.
As there will be no subscription, and future topics aren't set yet, will there be a backer forum to discuss future issues with? Can I put in my vote for a SCI FI Junkies issue?
We already have a private forum for Sketchcraft and all backers will get an invite to the first issue board where weekly updates, future topics, and general chit chat is welcome. It's already a positive place to hang out for me for past projects and eliminates the possible trolling that can go on in a public forum. Sci Fi is def on my list, I think with issue two there will be two major themes with one or two subsections. For example, Sci Fi Junkies and Modern Heroes vs Classic Mascots. With a PC and indie section. It'll allow me to define the characters even better within their favorite topics. As for subscriptions I find those to be very dubious in nature. They should be called subsidizations. Watching Play and GameFan fail I'd have to attend conventions and hear the folks who "lost" their subscription. The business up till 2008 was always about getting as high a subscription base as possible so you could net 200k in ad sales per month. That's why subscribers would get so low a price, but that business plan went away overnight with the housing crash. I feel the best way to maintain the book, both in quality and economically is build them per issue and go to Kickstarter with all the incentives. If i'm gonna throw in discounted goods I want them to go to the dedicated fans, signed by me, and shipped by us directly.
My biggest ongoing concern with Kickstarter projects are budget breakdowns. These basic financial planning tools are essential to a successful project to ensure a proper use of funds and help prove to potential backers that there is a plan in place. Why does your project not feature a budget breakdown? Where was the original $500 going and what do you intend to do with the current total?
Our funding goal is based off initial printing costs and freelance budgets, not the money it takes to pay me to complete the project. Those extra funds have been generated so far thru the art prints, physical copy addons, and my physical art.
I've been a fan since 2010 I found out about it while designing the first issue of GameFan in March of 2010, when it was apparent they weren't gonna generate the ad sales they were looking for. My pitch to Dave was to do single, focus driven issues we could publish through crowdfunding, keep our team incredibly small, and make some quality stuff. But the realities of their financial needs prevented that from happening.
I've updated almost daily with backer updates as well as public updates. I've emailed every gaming site on the planet 5 times over with custom greeting cards and made myself avail to any interviews whatsoever. Not much response so far but I'm on it. Josh and I respond to all direct messages day and night as well as backer comments. I Livestream while I draw and engage with backers there as well. I'll be adding a few podcast as well moving forward. I've always loved talking to fans, even at conventions you'll find me chatting away all day with whomever comes by the booth. I grew up going to comic con in San Diego and I really appreciated artists who took the time to listen and hang out for a few minutes. I'll never forget that experience and work hard to make myself available as much as possible.
Screwattack and igameresponsibly ran a nice post on us. I'm all over the internet for sure, Facebook, tumblr, twitter, deviant art, pinterest, instagram, youtube, I'm there daily. For some reason it's just been incredibly difficult to get noticed by the mainstream sites. We just use the Kickstarter analytics to track projects.
If you aren't fully prepared to be available to your backers night or day, then good luck. Things will go better and worse than expected within every project, being able to adjust to that and learn from it has to be an addicting part of your nature. Start small, do what you know, and be prepared to deal with shipping costs. Honestly, shipping and fulfillment is the hardest part of these things, luckily Josh and myself have worked together for almost 10 years now and we're quite used to that experience. Thank you for spending your time with us! Do you have any final thoughts for our readers?
I'd like to thank them for backing any project via crowdfunding. In all my years in print, t-shirts, and comic books, sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo allow artists of all types to reach out to the world, bypassing the wall of distributors you have to go through to get into a Wal-Mart or Comic Shop. It's the wild west of entrepreneurship right now, a golden age of original projects. I'm proud to be a part of it. I have and will continue to back projects moving forward. Thank-you.


text:
« 2020 Dunlap Award: René Doyon
2020 Executive Award: Michael Balogh »
2020 Qilak Award: Julie Bolduc-Duval
By president | April 8, 2020 - 5:31 pm | April 8, 2020 CASCA in the News, News and Announcements
CASCA is pleased to announce Ms. Julie Bolduc-Duval as the recipient of the 2020 Qilak Award. Ms. Bolduc-Duval serves as the Executive Director of Discover the Universe, a Canadian astronomy training program. For over a decade, Ms. Bolduc-Duval has developed Discover the Universe into an oustandingly effective program for training educators in astronomy. The program has reached thousands of educators from elementary school through university via both in-person workshops and online seminars. Importantly, training is offered in both French and English, thus reaching a bilingual community worldwide (including, for example, participants from Europe and Africa). With trained educators now able to effectively disseminate astronomy material, Discover the Universe's impact has a multiplicative effect on the community, thanks to the outstanding work of Ms. Bolduc-Duval.
CASCA is delighted to recognize Ms. Bolduc-Duval's efforts with this award.


A man who volunteered to be the first person to have a head transplant has changed his mind after meeting the woman who would go on to become his wife and having a baby.
Valery Spiridnov – who suffers from muscle-wasting disease Werdnig-Hoffman, which shortens life expectancy – previously put himself forward for the unprecedented surgery because he had nothing to lose.
He said: "I understood that it was a great risk, that it had never been done before.
But now it seems he does have something to lose – namely his wife, Anastasia Panfilova, and his 'beautiful kid', who was born in November.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the 33-year-old Russian said: "My condition seems stable and some plans changed and in my life appeared a woman, who I fell in love with and I'm happy to say I'm married and have a beautiful kid now.
The head transplant surgery is the brainchild of Italian doctor Sergio Canavero, who has reattached the heads of monkeys and is currently carrying out further research in China. He also previously claimed the procedure had been successfully performed on a corpse, but it later transpired this was just the 'first surgical model', not an actual transplant.
He believes it isn't true that the severance of a head means certain death, while large swathes of medicine disagree with Canavero, who has been dubbed 'Doctor Frankenstein'.
He announced in December that he had changed his mind about the op, but only revealed today that the decision had been motivated by his newfound family life in the US, saying: "I have become a really happy person.
"I have moved to the United States and I'm getting my Masters degree here.
In 2017, Professor Ren Xiaoping said his team had successfully conducted a head transplant experiment on a dog.
He claimed his team in China were able to successfully re-connect the spine with the new head using a chemical compound called polyethylene glycol.
He said the dog could start to walk two weeks after the operation and run two months after the operation. One year on, he described the result of the experiment as 'very good', but did admit the lab dog wasn't acting like a completely normal dog.
Hmmm… Can't help but feel Mr Spiridnov might have made a good call on the head transplant front, for now at least.


text:
Introducing the 2019 VinSolutions Team Members of the Year
Earlier this month, VinSolutions hosted its annual All Hands meeting, a company-wide gathering to celebrate the previous year's success and rally behind the vision for the future. In addition to recognizing the successes of the company, the All Hands meeting also recognizes the individual successes of our hardworking team members. We caught up with this year's Team Members of the Year to hear more about their year and what this recognition means to them. Congrats to all of this year's honorees!
Alex McCabe, Product Manager
VinSolutions Team Member of the Year
Proudest accomplishment from this year: I am proud to have been trusted to lead large initiatives across multiple teams, as well as bring feedback and metrics to our Engineering and Product teams about the great work we all did. I am also very proud to show client and internal department feedback around how sometimes the "smallest" things can make a big difference.
What this recognition means: It means everything. It shows the power of what a strong culture can breed, as well as how hard work, determination and a great attitude are valued. Individual recognition like this is never a sought-after destination and the hard work would never change, but it's a reassurance of always putting in that hard work and doing the right things. Awards like this are always won because of the great people and teams around you. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by phenomenal people across multiple departments who understand the value of trust, team-first attitude and strong work ethic.
Kaycee Sweany, Supervisor Technical Client Services
VinGives Award (Volunteerism and Philanthropy)
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: Empowerment. I feel like I make a difference everyday I'm here. I feel listened to, respected and valued.
What this recognition means: I'm still in shock!
Jeff Anderson, Software Engineer II
Engineering Team Member of the Year
Best thing about working at VinSolutions: Although I love learning and working with talented people, what makes VinSolutions special is how much everyone cares. We've had some late nights trying to get things working, and we've had team members get online and try to help us out any way they could. No one has to do that, yet everyone makes that extra effort and wants to see each other succeed.
What this recognition means: It means a lot that people thought I was deserving of this award. We have a very talented engineering group at VinSolutions, so to not only be nominated by people but to win the award means a lot. I want to thank everyone who has helped get me to where I currently am. So many people have gone out of their way to help me grow as a developer. If it weren't for so many people in this company, I wouldn't have been able to grow as fast as I have in this last year.
Jane Butler, Senior Readiness Project Manager
Operations Team Member of the Year
Proudest accomplishment this year: It is difficult to isolate a single accomplishment as this year has been filled with a variety of projects that have provided me with tremendous learning experiences throughout the year. Each project has allowed me to partner with great teams who have worked tirelessly to drive successful launches.
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: The people. There is such a depth of knowledge across the organization, and everyone is so willing to share their knowledge and help advance the organization through teamwork.
Stephen Dengel, Digital Marketing Specialist II
Managed Services Team Member of the Year
Proudest accomplishment this year: Early in the year, I started creating tutorial videos on how to use some of the basic features of email marketing in Connect CRM and what dealers can expect from the TargetPro+ team.
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: My favorite thing about working for VinSolutions has been how supportive my leadership team has been in supporting some of the crazier ideas I've had to improve our team.
Diana Dickerson, FPA Manager
Finance and Marketing Team Member of the Year
Proudest accomplishment this year: I am proud of the projects that help to improve VinSolutions' P&L (COGS/revenue audits). #savevinmoney
What this recognition means: I am truly honored, and it is very motivating to be rewarded in this way!
Shelley Herrman, Implementation Project Manager
Client Onboarding Team Member of the Year
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: It is hard to pick just one thing. I enjoy the customer contact and relationships I build with my dealers during implementation. I work with a great group of people. The work-home life balance we have is amazing. I am a two-year breast cancer survivor, and I have appreciated the support from Cox Automotive that has allowed me to have multiple surgeries, complete treatments and continue to complete follow-up appointments and preventative measures. The work-home life balance has also allowed me to be a mom and not miss those important life events. The volunteer opportunities are amazing and so very rewarding in so many ways. I have been so lucky to work with the American Cancer Society, Hope Lodge and Ronald McDonald House, and it has been encouraged by VinSolutions and Cox Automotive.
What this recognition means: It means a lot. It was nice to know my peers, management and dealers notice my hard work and dedication.
Harry Lai, User Experience Architect
Product Team Member of the Year
Proudest accomplishment this year: Aside from not tripping when I went up to receive this award, I'm proudest of the work we did launching Connect Automotive Intelligence. It was a new concept for us, involving lots of moving parts, and it brought together teams and contributions from several different Cox Automotive business units. Getting Connect Automotive Intelligence launched for NADA 2019 took hard work, and the collaborative attitude of everyone involved is what made it happen. I'm especially happy that we also took time to evaluate what we launched, identified things we missed, and then released some valuable enhancements shortly afterwards. But honestly, me not tripping was probably a close second.
What this recognition means: It's very humbling because to me, this recognition is really a reflection of the work we've done together as a team. Anything I design is influenced by countless discussions with product managers, engineers, trainers, Performance Managers, sales teams and, of course, my fellow UX'ers. Their expertise and ideas are absolutely key to what I do. I would like to say thank you. It's been fun working here, and this award was unexpected but very appreciated.
Guy Lance, Lead Client Trainer
Proudest accomplishment this year: It has made me so proud to see people that I mentored become mentors to other trainers. I'm proud to be leaving a legacy.
What this recognition means: After 30 years in the car business, I think this is the biggest honor I have ever received. This team is the finest, most highly trained, elite team of professionals I have ever seen. To be recognized in this manor, by this group, is very special. Working with this company, and this group of people, has been one of the greatest honors and experiences of my life.
Aaron Newcomer, Lead Software Engineer
Proudest accomplishment this year: Earning this award!
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: The people here are the best!
Mario Scampoli, Performance Manager
Performance Management Team Member of the Year
Proudest accomplishment this year: Achieving Performance Manager of the Year was certainly one of my proudest accomplishments, and I am grateful that my efforts paid off in achieving the lowest churn. I had two other major accomplishments this year. My son Michael was born in June, and I also went back to school. After many years away I earned my associate degree with honors.
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: I love being able to work from home and spend more time with my family, while also being able to use my years of experience in the car industry to help other people be successful. Thank you to those who have mentored me along the way. A special thanks to my wife Kelsey for being so supportive in everything that I do.
Haley Stack, Senior Technical Client Service Representative
Proudest accomplishment this year: My proudest accomplishment for 2019 is maintaining top metrics for the department while also training new techs moving into the integrations queue.
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: My favorite thing about working at VinSolutions is getting to collaborate and work with members across the building and business units. The company is like a family in not being restricted to one department. Being a part of the Pilot Team within Support and competing in several Corporate Challenge events, I am regularly able to make connections and get to know individuals across many departments.
Rob Updike, Outside Regional Sales Manager
Sales Team Member of the Year
Best thing about working for VinSolutions: From the first day I started working at VinSolutions, I can truly say everyone makes me feel welcome. People are open and honest in good months and down months, and management and peers always make you feel you count. It's a great place to work, period. Here's to all my friends in KC… Go Colts!
What this recognition means: This award is a huge honor. At VinSolutions, we have a team environment. I could not be successful without the help of my team, Anthony McGinnis, Kyle Compo, Eddie O'Hara and Chris Pickett. They are always pushing me to be the best I can be every day.
See more Resources on Marketing
How Dealers Like You Are Finding More Opportunities
Even in the most competitive markets, opportunities to sell more cars are out there—if you know where to look. Learn how dealerships across the country are using new strategies to find opportunities.
Finding Success in a New Age of Digital Sales
2020 was, without argument, the most challenging year in recent memory. So, how can I, or anyone else, wrap their heads around this paradox? One word comes to mind: flexibility.
Better Data. Better Leads. Better Deals.
When car shoppers search online, they leave behind a trail of valuable information about their intents. And with the right tools, your dealership can identify the power in those buying signals.


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We offer highly experienced on-call roustabout service, and our on-site machine shop is second to none. Call to schedule our service!
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Tag Archives: Big K.R.I.T.
The Rap Up: January 20, 2012
January 20, 2012 by thelisteningmagazine
If you visited sites such as Wikipedia or Google on Wednesday, you noticed the protests of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The proposed act (which was scheduled to be voted upon next week) would essentially give the U.S. Attorney General the power to cut ad dollars and search engine indexing while censoring the internet tremendously in the process. Seeing as the internet is a huge part of the music industry today, it is imperative that we are all knowledgeable on the subject and fight to protect our first amendment right to freedom of speech. The protest was tremendously successful, as it seemingly swayed many House voters into opposition of the bill and postponed the voting process.
Legendary songstress Etta James passed away Friday morning at the age of 73. The sultry blues vocalist died of complications due to leukemia, which she was diagnosed with in 2010. Known most for her song "At Last", she will be remembered along with the countless others who we have lost recently. Kings Of Leon drummer Nathan Followill commented, "RIP Etta James, one of the greatest voices of all time," a sentiment we can all agree with. James was survived by her husband and two sons, who were at her bedside when she passed.
The Paid Dues Independent Hip Hop Festival announced its lineup of artists for 2012 on Thursday. Hosted by LA artist MURS, the seventh annual Paid Dues festival will take place on April 7th at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. The show will be headlined by the legendary group Wu-Tang Clan, who will be joined by other teeming groups such as Odd Future, Living Legends, Hieroglyphics, and Dipset. Also among the fray are Kendrick Lamar and DJ Quik. This year's show is stacked and should live up to the quality we have come to expect from the festival.
Brandy and Monica announce the release date of their new duet "It All Belongs To Me"
The Mars Volta announces new album, Nocturniquet, to be released March 27th
Odd Future announces March 20th release date for debut album
Barack Obama shouts out Janelle Monae during speech; calls her "incredibly talented"
Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius push back WZRD album to February 28th
Santigold drops "Big Mouth", lead single from her Master Of My Make Believer album
Estelle releases a video for "Thank You", a single from her forthcoming All Of Me album
Dizzee Rascal reissues his 2003 Mercury Prize award-winning debut Boy In Da Corner
De La Soul returns without Maseo to release new music as duo First Serve
Compton emcee Schoolboy Q releases his debut album Habits & Contradictions
K'Naan enlists Nas' help for the lead single from his More Beautiful Than Silence EP
Big K.R.I.T. drops a collaboration with 8Ball & MJG; gives release date for 4evaNaDay
Theophilus London drops "Last Night (LVRS Anthem)", single for Lovers Holiday II
North Carolina female emcee Rapsody releases "ABC" music video
Posted in The Rap Ups.	Tagged 8ball, 8ball & MJG, abc, act, barack, barack obama, Big, Big K.R.I.T., big mouth, blues, boy, boy in da corner, brandy, clan, congress, contradictions, corner, cudi, da, de, de la soul, dipset, dizzee, dizzee rascal, dj, dj quik, dot, dot da genius, dues, estelle, estelle thank you, etta, etta james, festival, first, first serve, future, genius, habits, habits & contradictions, hieroglyphics, Hip Hop, in, james, janella, janella monae, k'naan, K.R.I.T., Kendrick, Kendrick Lamar, kid, kid cudi, kings, kings of leon, Lamar, last night (LVRS anthem), le, legends, leon, living, living legends, london, mars, mjg, monae, monica, MURS, music, music news, nas, New, new releases, news, norwood, obama, odd, odd future, Of, online, paid, paid dues hip hop festival, PIPA, piracy, q, quik, R&B, Rap, rapsody, rascal, releases, santigold, santigold big mouth, schoolboy, schoolboy q, serve, SOPA, soul, stop, tang, thank you, The, the mars volta, theophilus, theophilus london, volta, weekly round ups, wu, wu-tang clan, wzrd
Vignettes: Favorite Acts Of 2011
January 1, 2012 by thelisteningmagazine
As we look back on the controversy-riddled year that was 2011, there is one thing we should all be able to agree on: it was a great year for music. Fans have been given an astounding amount of good music from the year's outset, and that fact is sure to put a smile on the face of any listener. With that being said, we would like to give our two cents on our favorite acts of a year which has seen talented artists such as Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, and Adele make huge waves in the industry. Here are The Listening Magazine's favorite acts of the year.
As is to be expected, Kanye West has been a huge force in music in the past year. West released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to critical acclaim in late 2010. As is the case with most fourth quarter releases, Dark Twisted Fantasy's true value was recognized in the year following its release. The levels of quality and replayability remain high for the album, and the sound influenced a large amount of subsequent projects. Also, West's collaboration with hip hop mogul Jay-Z entitled Watch The Throne has made a tremendous impact on music this year. While the project is not a grand opus for either artist, Watch The Throne is an enjoyable, adventurous album which provides touches of socioeconomic commentary while simultaneously bringing the essential element of fun back to rapping. Hell, whenever you can perform a song nine times in a row at a sold outStaplesCenter and have fans going crazy each time, you're doing something right.
Mississippiemcee Big K.R.I.T. has proven that 2010 was no fluke. Following his rise to fame last year (which included the release of a critically acclaimed free album and a contract with Def Jam), K.R.I.T. went on to do more great things in 2011. He began the year by being named one of the freshmen of the year by XXL Magazine, a title which is coveted heavily by up and coming rap artists. He went on to release Return Of 4Eva, another free album to follow up his 2010 effort K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. Return Of 4Eva was arguably met with more acclaim than Wuz Here, ending up on the year-end lists of several notable publications. If 2011 was any indication, K.R.I.T. will continue to make outstanding music for many years to come, shattering southern rap stereotypes in the process.
K.R.I.T.'s fellow XXL freshman class member Kendrick Lamar is the voice of Generation Y. The Compton, California emcee released one of the best albums of the year this summer in Section 80, a project which speaks heavily on many of the socioeconomic issues plaguing those of use growing up in the internet age. Beyond his astounding lyrical abilities, what makes Kendrick special is his message. Section 80 has a highly political context, and tells stories which resonate with listeners from all walks of life. This makes Kendrick's music relatable to a very wide audience, which will hopefully allow his message to spread even further in years to come.
2011 is also the year we fell in love with J*DaVeY, a Los Angeles music duo consisting of vocalist Jack Davey and producer Brook D'Leau. While the tandem has not had a large amount of mainstream success, they have a highly supportive fan base which has grown substantially in 2011. After being unable to release a project in 2010, the duo released the Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes EP in early 2011 to much critical acclaim. The EP showed a distinct growth in the genre-bending sound of the group, and sparked a summer tour which included bookings around the country and internationally. Tapping into the strength which is their dynamic live performances, the pair used this tour to promote their long-awaited debut studio album New Designer Drug. The oft-delayed album was finally released in November to largely favorable reviews. With the monkey finally off of their backs, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for J*DaVeY.
Another act which was a highlight of the summer is rock band Elevator Fight. The band is based inPhiladelphia and is led by vocalist Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. The group consists of Kravitz and band mates Joe Baldacci (drums), Dominic Angelella (guitar), Khari Mateen (guitar), Nick Bockrath (guitar), and Rick Friedrich (keys). They have been together since 2009, releasing songs here and there and performing at several notable festivals such as The Roots Picnic and South By Southwest. The group's sound is lo-fi and psychedelic, and while they have yet to release an actual project, the live shows serve as a tremendously energetic showcase for the music. From first hand experience, it is very captivating to see the small songstress tossing back beer as she leads the group in a raging performance. That moment grabs a hold of you effortlessly.
Detroitemcee Danny Brown is another up-and-coming artist who has made great strides in 2011. After signing to label Fool's Gold, Brown dropped one of the best releases of the year with his free album XXX. In commemoration of turning 30 years old, the project showcases Brown's free-flowing lyricism and eccentric delivery. Everything about his style is highly unique and original, which gives him huge potential for success in the industry. Brown is also associated with producers (the most notable being Black Milk, with whom he released an EP this year) that provide back drops which fit his style perfectly. Brown has traveled a rough path for numerous years, and it is satisfying to see his recent success in the music business.
Last, but certainly not least, The Weeknd has crash landed onto the scene and made a huge impact on the industry. Singer Abel Tesfaye released a trilogy of free albums (House Of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes Of Silence) that have made his rise to stardom one of the fastest in recent memory. Tesfaye, along with producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo, has created a distinctly lush and atmospheric sound that is influencing the R&B genre before our eyes. The strong songwriting, atmospheric soundscapes, and detailed story arcs give The Weeknd the total package and provide an excellent experience for listeners. It seems as though Tesfaye is poised for tremendous success in the near future, with plans to re-release the "Balloon Trilogy" in a re-mastered retail form during the coming year.
We at The Listening Magazine have thoroughly enjoyed the music brought to us during the year 2011, and are extremely excited for what 2012 has to offer. We will surely be listening…
Posted in The Vignette.	Tagged 2011, 80, Abel, Abel Tesfaye, alternative, Balloons, Big, Big K.R.I.T., Brook D'Leau, Brown, Danny, Danny Brown, Designer, Doc, Doc McKinney, Drug, Echoes, Echoes Of Silence, Elevator, Elevator Fight, Favorite, Fight, Hip Hop, House, House Of Balloons, Illangelo, J*DaVeY, Jack Davey, Jay-Z, K.R.I.T., Kanye, Kanye West, Kendrick, Kendrick Lamar, Kravitz, KRIT, Lamar, McKinney, New, Of, R&B, Rap, Return Of 4Eva, Returnof4eva, rock, Section, Section 80, Silence, Tesfaye, The, The Weeknd, Throne, Watch, Watch The Throne, West, Zoe, Zoe Kravitz


Summer is coming to an end and before the season slips away, you have got to try these 6 simple tomato recipes that celebrates this delicious seasonal treat! Tomatoes are so delicious this time of year, so sweet, so nutritious and incredibly versatile. Go visit the farmer's market and grab a bunch of tomatoes and indulge by making these delicious tomato recipes by yours truly.


If I only have an extra one thousand dollars, I would have paid for hair extensions, a long, full head of hair would be nice. But since I don't, I would settle for my good old small choice of wigs. Pretty soon, I will be going out without a wig every time without any cover over my short hair.
Look at me. I am almost ready for a hair cut.
Want hair extensions? Watch this and admire.
Going to the clinic brings me memories just five months ago and back–my multiple visits for shots post chemo, my sick visits due to low resistance to infections, and lab work. Each visit, I felt weak and unconditioned. I did not want to be here.
I still don't want to be here. Today, my son woke up with swollen left eye and cold symptoms–sore throat, runny nose, and general malaise. All that and he still wanted to work.
I still did not let him and called in sick for him. Because I called and said that he is sick, he is excused and he is not losing his little job, my thirteen-year-old.
I got this Noom application from Google Play, an Android app to help me lose weight. It has been a month, and I lost six pounds. I have tried other applications and methods before, but I like this one the most so far. It helps me roughly track my calorie intake from good food to not so good food that I should limit. Take a peek, here. If you have an Android phone, it does not cost you extra to use the free app. It gives me daily motivation and reminds me to walk daily. I use it with an exercise app. I will write about that later.
For those of you in treatment, chemo or radiation, it may not be good time to lose weight even if you want to. You need all the nutrients to replenish damaged cells. That means eating more nutritious foods that you can tolerate and keep down.
My dentist thinks the cavity (along the gumline) started because of mouth dryness and poor brushing in the area. Well, I believe him. For months during chemo, my mouth and gums felt raw. The electric toothbrush I have been using for years suddenly became unbearable. It felt like my teeth would all fall off from the vibration. I was using this extra soft toothbrush ever so carefully for months but apparently, the gentle strokes did not get the bugs and plaque off my teeth, oh well.